Screen Couple
by Dryuu
Summary: (can't even remember if I wrote this before.) May is hounded by paparazzi to no end, and what's worse is that they seem to focus on the topic that's waaayyy too detached from the truth.
1. Chapter 1

******DISCLAIMER:** I don't own Pokémon or its characters.

**Screen Couple, Part I**

Not a day has gone by in Canalave City, Sinnoh that has been misfortune for Pokémon Coordinator, May. Why? Take a look at socialite magazines, lifestyle and/or entertainment sections of newspapers. "It's like there's nothing else for them to cover. They should really find somebody else to annoy!"

May was expressing her frustration to her confidant, the Nurse Joy of the Pokémon Center. She has been in the city for a while now (for various reasons, first and foremost that the city has been the site of the most recent Sinnoh Grand Festival that May participated in) that she had gotten to know the nurse on a personal basis.

"That's the pressure of being a World-Famous Coordinator, I'll bet," the nurse guessed. "What's the old saying again? Stardom is overrated?"

This got a small laugh from the girl. "I'm not sure if you got the words right, but I guess the meaning stayed the same." And then her expression turned sour again. "It's bad enough about all that celebrity thing going on, but then the press just had to add THIS!" She shoved a tabloid inches from Nurse Joy's face, enough for the latter to read the article May was pointing to. Joy cleared her throat, and began to read the heading:

**_Love Blooms in the Appeals Stage_**

_Up and coming stars in the Coordinator scene, May of Petalburg City and Drew of LaRousse City, both hailing from Hoenn, seem to have  
_

Nurse Joy didn't get to read the rest of the article, since May rolled up the paper and started brandishing it around the room like a stick. "I think there's some attempt at wordplay on the article's heading, May," Joy said, trying to lighten up the mood (she only read part of the first paragraph, but the title's already enough to tell her what's troubling her friend). "And I-"

"I told you already, didn't I?" May cut her off. "It's like that's the only thing the papers have to report about these past few days!" She showed another, different tabloid. Again, Nurse Joy wasn't able to read the full article May wanted to show her (not even the heading this time), just a small passage:

_with rumors of the male half of our favorite screen couple accepting a TV and movie deal with a famous studio, the world is sure to know about their budding relationship. And the  
_

The tabloid wasn't rolled up this time, May just crumpled it into a ball, and threw it offhand to a wastebasket; the distance would put three-point shooters to shame. "I thought that these things would always fabricate the truth just to make juicier news, but this is just taking things too far!"

"I'm guessing that this couple bit is what's driving you up the wall?" Joy asked coyly. "You're going to need some fresh air, May. Why don't you go outside and refresh yourself? The sea breeze at this time of year is sure to clear your head."

"How can I? As soon as I step outside, paparazzi would be sure to find me and swarm me like a hive of Combee and I was coated in their honey or something."

* * *

A few minutes later, May looked at her reflection in the hall mirror, at Nurse Joy's handiwork: a thick pair of round opaque sunglasses, a raven-hair wig, and a blue beret to replace her bandanna, "Well, now I know how Team Rocket feels like, wearing disguises to conceal themselves," May muttered with a sigh, pushing the glasses further up her nose bridge with her pointer finger. "Hopefully this will make me more conspicuous. Wearing these glasses at night...really?"

From behind, Nurse Joy adjusted the wig she lent her young friend. "This Team Rocket...I remember you telling me that no matter how little the effort they put into their disguises, you and your friends will always be fooled. How would you compare my masterpiece to that?"

"Oh. So this is your 'masterpiece', huh?" May replied, giving Joy a doubting, yet hilariously-looking, stare through the mirror.

"So much for appreciation. Go on, get out of here," Nurse Joy said, pretending to look offended, and then she pushed May to get her on her way. "Use the service entrance at the side. I know I disguised you so well, but it's better to play it safe, right?"

The service entrance led to a back street bordered by one of the city's many canals. Joy assured her that the street is seldom used, even by the staff of the Center, but May took her friend's words to heart. She opened the door only partway, peering through the opening first. Once she's sure the coast is clear, May sighed in relief, and went around the Pokémon Center to the main street.

Back in the Center, Nurse Joy braced herself for the evening's wave of Pokémon trainers going in to ask for the services of her facility. As she sends her Chansey to fetch a cart for the first trainer's Pokéballs, she thought to herself, 'That girl. She just wouldn't admit her real reason for hating those articles...'

* * *

Canalave City is pretty beautiful at night. But, because of the Grand Festival and the harassment she's been experiencing, May wasn't able to appreciate it until tonight. This is the reason why May stayed behind in the city a couple of days after the Festival has long since concluded and everyone else has already left. It's also why Nurse Joy was adamant that May go out and see the sights, since she's the one who sold the idea of staying in in the first place.

Strolling through the town, and crossing bridges over the network of various canals, May took in the sights, descriptions of which were written by the nurse herself. "So that's the Canalave Gym," she pondered to herself when a domed concrete building slipped into her view, the description of which was on Nurse Joy's paper. She didn't stop in front of the gym, only giving it a quick half-glance, before heading on her way.

At the back of the gym, May saw another tall structure. She didn't need to read the paper to see that this was the Canalave City library. She's actually been there before, trying to read into some of the Sinnoh-based Pokémon that she believed she might face in the Sinnoh Grand Festival. And May promised herself never to go back there again.

Doubling back and passing the gym, May crossed the drawbridge, and, in a couple of minutes, found herself close to her starting point, the Pokémon Center, already. Rolling up Nurse Joy's list and throwing it into a waste bin, May froze when she saw several paparrazi strolling straight toward her.

'Oh, no,' she thought, getting frantic, 'was my cover blown?'

It came as a relief to her when the camera fiends just passed right through her, completely uninterested in the "inconspicuous" girl. 'I don't believe it,' she thought, half-amused, half in disbelief, 'Nurse Joy's disguise actually works.'

Nearby, a little boy with his mother were strolling by, the young one playing with an Igglybuff-based balloon. The moment the mother turned her back on her child, the boy accidentally lost his grip on his toy. and, decided to go after it.

It was the mother's shout that alerted May of what was happening, but by then it was already too late. The balloon hit May in the face, disorienting her, and it was followed by the boy accidentally bowling her over.

After recovering, May immediately grabbed the balloon before it could get away, and then stooped down to help the child to his feet as his mother made her way to them. "Next time, you should watch where you're going, kay?" she told him, in a light scolding manner.

The mother was not exactly as lenient. "Oh, Luke, you really shouldn't have run off like that!" She turned to May just as the latter was straightening herself back up. "Oh, miss, I'm really, really sorry for what happened, Did Luke hu-" Something must have gotten in her throat, because she stopped herself short of saying something.

May didn't need to be told what made the other woman freeze like that. Because, the confusion made her realize too late that the collision caused her glasses to go askew.

"There she is!"

'Oh,' May said, completely deadpan despite the dire situation she was in, 'NOW my cover's blown.'

Before she could turn tail, however, the paparazzi and reporters have swarmed on her in mere moments. She wasn't kidding about what she said earlier: they really were like Combee attracted to honey (in this case, obviously her). You'd be impressed at how many questions were fired at her in the span of a single minute.

"Where have you been? All the networks are looking all over for you to get an exclusive!"

"Have you been staying here in Canalave City? The Grand Festival has already ended three days ago. Why didn't you leave like the rest of the Coordinators?"

"Are you planning to turn Canalave City into your own personal vacation home? Is that why you stayed behind?"

"You still haven't told us; what's your way of culling Drew's horde of female fans? Are you the jealous type or something?"

That one was the last straw; May would have given polite answers to all of the other questions, but the last question made her look like she was just about to explode. She kept her temper in check, however, and decided to just waive all the queries off. "Sorry, but there's some place I have to go to. Bye!"

Forcefully weaving through the sea of reporters, May couldn't see where she was going, just in the general direction of her safe haven, the Pokémon Center. Suddenly, the sound of banging metal can be heard from a small distance away. This turned out to be her salvation, as the noise distracted the paparazzi to divert their attention in that direction.

"Hey, hey! How about giving the girl some peace? I'll certainly give you a piece of my mind if you don't! Wouldn't you want to know WHY she stays here in this city? It's that she can't get out because you're all sniping at her!"

'Thanks, Nurse Joy,' May thought, recognizing the voice of her savior.

But, as a surprise for everyone, Nurse Joy and May included, was that the nurse wasn't the only one who came to May's rescue. Still blinded by the flash of several cameras, May made her way around the Pokémon Center, passing a narrow alleyway between the Center and an old warehouse. Suddenly, a hand grabbed May and pulled her into the alley, at the exact same moment that the paparazzi have finally realized that their quarry was gone.

"Hey!" "Where'd she go?" "I don't believe this, I lost sight of her again!"

The paparazzi, disgusted at each other for "scaring May off", split up to try to find May again.

In the confusion, Nurse Joy also decided to make a retreat, before the heat is on her. She saw what happened to her friend, and who took her; the problem for Joy was that she didn't recognize who it was. "Here's hoping that he's not the criminal sort," she muttered in prayer. "Because if he is, taking her down an alleyway like that is bad news. Where have I seen him before?"

**CONTINUED**


	2. Chapter 2

**Screen Couple, Part II**

May rubbed her eyes, trying to get rid of the spots that blinded her. While she was doing that, she was being led by the hand by someone she doesn't know (or at least, recognize), running off to parts unknown. She's only just getting her sight back a little when the two of them finally stopped. Shaking off the last spots by, well, shaking her head, May started getting her bearings, and, most important of all, trying to get her eyes on the one who saved her.

Although, she didn't need her eyesight for that, since he revealed himself by speaking to her; and boy, was she surprised when she recognized him. "That was quite a pickle I saved you from, huh? Did I make it in the nick of time, or did I?"

Eyes still closed, May, in a fit of surprise and anger, shoved her hands in the direction of his voice, pushing him. "YOU!" Once her eyes are back to normal, she decided it a good time to glare at him. "You!" she repeated. "Ash Ketchum! What are you doing here?"

While he landed on his rear end from the impact, Ash couldn't help but be amused at May's reaction from seeing him. "So much for gratitude," he muttered as he got back to his feet. "Is that the way you should be thanking me?"

Realizing what she's done, May turned red. But was it from anger, or because of something else? "S-Sorry," she said, "I dunno what got over me." She paused for a second, before begrudgingly adding, "Th-Thank you."

"That's more like it," Ash said with a grin. Pikachu, ever always on his shoulder, could shake his head at his trainer, disappointed over something.

Her eyesight back to normal, May looked found that they were in a narrow alleyway, next to a building that she recognized as the library. "Why are you here?" she suddenly asked. "For that matter, how did you get here?"

Ash flashed a tabloid paper in her face, the same one May was apprehensive about when narrating to Nurse Joy earlier. "I thought you might be the damsel in distress, being harassed by members of the press, and I-"

"-and you decided to be my knight in shining armor, am I right?" May finished his sentence, in complete disbelief. "That's unbecoming of you. Tell me something: who are you and what did you do with the real Ash Ketchum?"

"Knight in shining armor is putting it a little bit thick," Ash replied, ignoring May's last comment. "Is it so unusual for someone to help out a friend in need?" May looked away, not sure how to answer that remark. "But let me answer the rest of your questions. I already explained the why, next is when and how, right?

"When I got here, well, I wasn't kidding about the 'in the nick of time' phrase I uttered earlier. I just arrived with Charizard when we saw what was going on so close to the Pokémon Center."

"Charizard?" May echoed. She started looking around, expecting a familiar roar to come out at any moment.

"Hey, hey, hey," Ash said, "it's not like I'd bring Charizard with me full-time when I rescued you. I left him back at the Pokémon Center; not that he minded it, though." He shook his head. "If it's not about battling, he'd always think about his stomach first."

May shook her head, amused. 'Oh, that's right,' she thought. 'The Pokémon takes after their trainer after all.' For the first time that night, she smiled. Ash grinned back at her; seeing May happy might actually be his reason for even mentioning Charizard.

"We can't stay in one place," Ash suddenly said, turning serious. "This is an alleyway, but those cutthroats with the cameras would be sure to find us sooner or later. Let's go."

"Go? Go where? Now that they've confirmed that I'm staying in this city, no place is safe for me." It wasn't sure if May was exaggerating, not even herself.

"Well, there is one place I'm sure they would _never_ check out," Ash said. Without saying anything else, he grabbed May's hand again. "Shall we?"

* * *

A couple of minutes later, they have arrived at their destination. It was pitch-black, and only their eyes and the occasional static from Pikachu's sacs could illuminate the place. Ash closed the door behind them, plunging the pair in complete darkness. "THIS is where you think they'll never find me?" May asked.

"Yep." Ash felt around the wall close to the door for the light switch. Bright fluorescent lights illuminated the cavernous room, revealing the battlefield of the Canalave City Gym. "You're a Coordinator, focusing on getting Ribbons, not badges. A gym is the last place they'll think to look for you. And it was the Po-"

Her back turned to him, May surveyed the battlefield, not listening to whatever else he was saying. When her attention was back on him, however, Ash stopped talking. "Wow, you've gotten a little smarter than last I remember," May remarked. "You really are Ash, Ketchum, aren't you? Or are you a complete doppelganger?"

This jab seems to hurt, seeing Ash's winced reaction to it. But he still took it lightly. "I'm the real McCoy, May, or do you want me to pass a lie detector test. Or reveal some of your secrets that you've told me in-"

"Okay, okay, stop!" May held up her hands, "you've convinced me. Just stop it already." Changing the subject, she asked, "Would the gym leader object to our being here? I doubt he or she would be expecting a challenger at this time of night." Looking around, she added, "And where is the gym leader, anyway?"

"If my guess is correct, he would be-"

Once again, Ash was interrupted, this time by a voice coming from the room opposite them. "Hey, sorry, the gym's closed, why don't you just return tomorrow?"

The door to that room opened, and out walked a young man with a mining helmet and glasses. Ash seems to recognize him the same time the young man registered Ash. "Is that you? Ash?"

Nonchalantly, Ash waved to him. "Yo, Roark, what's up? Long time no see."

Roark ran up to them, shaking hands with Ash as soon as he's within reach. "Long time no see indeed. How long's it been?" Before Ash could answer, however, Roark rambled on. "Don't tell me you're going to go on and challenge the gyms here in the Sinnoh region again, are you? I hate to burst your bubble, but-"

"Hold up," Ash said, cutting him off, "that's not why I'm here. Sure I want to re-challenge gyms again, but maybe for another time. The real reason why I'm here is-" He introduced May, and told of her circumstances.

But it just so happens that Roark recognized her by name. "So you're the one I've been hearing about, from all the rumors that's been running around this city."

"Please," May said in disdain, "I'd rather not find out what those rumors are about. The ones in the tabloids are bad enough for me already..." To Ash, she asked, "You never did tell me. Is he the gym leader here?"

"Well, Roark _is_ a gym leader, but not of this gym," Ash explained.

"That's right," Roark added, supplying the rest of the explanation. "I'm based in Oreburgh City. This gym belongs to my father, Byron."

"And where is he, anyway?" Ash asked, looking around, expecting the hotblooded gym leader to shout out from any part of the gym.

"C'mon Ash, you know my father. So where else would he be?" Roark shook his head and shrugged. "He's in the Underground, digging for fossils...again."

"Figures." Ash could barely stifle his laughter, earning him a jab in the ribs from May. "Hey, I just noticed. Why are there mine tracks around the arena? Don't tell me that's going to be, or already is, a new feature for Byron's gym battles."

"Ah, it's Dad's way of passing the time. The rate he's going with this, I think he's going to turn this gym into an amusement park or something. And I mean it. He just started work on it this morning, and look now: he's finished already. I'm not even sure if it's safe to ride yet."

And then May saw that glint in Ash's eyes. Before she could stop him, however, he stepped forward, pumping his fists. "Hey, can I try it out? I can test the ride out for you. Come on, please?" The last word was emphasized by Ash gritting his teeth into a grin that unnerved the other two.

Roark in particular was so taken aback that he conceded. "Go right ahead. I see no harm in you riding it."

"Wait, Ash, are you daft?" May exclaimed. "Roark just told us that it wasn't tested yet! You sh-"

But Ash didn't even get her to finish. He and Pikachu have already started pushing the cart to give it momentum and then jumping on it when it's at the right speed. He and Pikachu hollered in excitement as they sped around the gym, getting faster with each revolution.

"Geez, Ash," May shouted after him, "how's about slowing down? At the rate you're going, you might get hurt!"

* * *

After the ride, Ash and Pikachu got so dizzy that they had trouble standing on their feet. He had to lie down on one of the bleachers, with a wet cloth covering his eyes. May sat right next to him, so close to his head that it can be mistaken from a distance that he's using her as a lap pillow. "I hate to say I told you so," she was saying, arms crossed in annoyance, "but, oh wait, I just did."

She got no answer. Instead, a snoring sound could be heard from the young man. Eyes twitching, forcing a cracked smile on her face, May slapped him on the face, on the nose (which didn't get the reaction she wanted, sadly).

"You two seem to be getting along pretty well," Roark said with a laugh, sitting on the bench in front of them.

May snorted. "Earlier I thought that he's finally changed, but it wasn't the case. It's like he needs someone to look out for him 24 hours a day."

"But, the way I remember it, wasn't he supposed to be looking out for you?" Roark pointed out. "You guys did tell me about your trouble with the press, remember?" He threw a Pokéball over his shoulder, releasing his Rampardos to the field right behind him. "I'm sure Ash wouldn't mind if I practice some drills with my Rampardos? I once heard from Brock that he can sleep through a storm, anyway."

"Just go right ahead," May approved. "This one sleeps like a log anyway."

As Roark turned around to start training, May's thoughts started to wander. Seeing that Rampardos made her flash back to her last round in the Grand Festival, in which her opponent was Drew, and his Pokémon was, you guessed it, also a Rampardos.

Suddenly, May was snapped out of her thoughts when Roark called out to her. A good thing, too, since it seemed to be a bitter memory for the girl. "Why don't you tell me something, May. What's the real reason why you're so irritated with the paparazzi? Was it about that 'screen couple' article?"

**CONTINUED**


	3. Chapter 3

**Screen Couple, Part III**

Taken aback by Roark's question, May nearly fell off her seat. "Wai-Wait a minute! Why would you ask me something like that?" she exclaimed, standing up. "No offense, but are you really in a place to do that? It's not like you know what I've been through?"

"Oh?" Roark smiled. "Are you sure about that? Let me just count the ways.

"We're both offspring to a well-known gym leader. We were initially in their shadow, but we started to become famous, or maybe in your case, infamous," May turned away with a small snort, "on our own. Me as a gym leader, and you as a Coordinator. When I started my career, I certainly had my share of press problems.

"The way I see it, this screen couple thing has you riled up for much deeper reasons other than it being the truth," May turned back to glare at him, so he quickly added, "or not."

Closing her eyes, May heaved a huge sigh. "I don't believe I'm opening up like this, but, maybe because you're actually spot-on on your deduction, if you could call it that." She sighed again. "Drew's just a friend. Nothing more. Apparently, they must have figured that something's going on between us, all because of what happened at the Grand Festival. Specifically, after I defeated him in the last round.

"Even if you don't read the dirt on the tabloids, you might have at least seen it on the news." And so May's embarrassing memory, triggered earlier when she saw Roark's Rampardos, was elaborated in full. "Apparently, Drew was expecting to lose to me or something. Because, after I beat him, he went to the locker room. Thought it was his way of accepting defeat while looking cool.

"...except he came back, with _two bouquets of roses_ in his hands. Six roses on one set and seven on the other." May slapped her forehead with both hands, before burying her face in them. "Boy, did the media have a field day with that event."

"Something tells me that those roses symbolize something else besides romantic undertones," Roark remarked.

"It harkens back to the first time I beat him in a Contest, which is also the very first time he ever gave me a rose. He said that it was meant for my Beautifly, and not for me. As for that bouquet, well, according to him each rose symbolizes the ups and downs of my career as a Coordinator." Seeing Roark's puzzled look, May elaborated further. "One bouquet symbolizes the number of losses I had against him, and the other is the number of my victories." She was really, really bitter when she added, "Care to guess which is which? Hint: Who would be happy about being reminded of their losses, right? From your own rival, no less? That's why I didn't like it when he gave me those flowers."

"Ah," Roark said, with a slow nod. "If I understand what you're saying, then the number of your losses against him is-"

May held her hand up to stop him from finishing that sentence, and quickly changed the subject. "And of course that's only the start of the whole problem. It is the Grand Festival. Lots of media coverage and whatnot, right? So the press, misinterpreting the whole bouquet scenario-"

"-labelled you and Drew as the new love team, am I right?" Ash, freshly recovered from his rest, said.

"I thought you were supposed to be asleep," May said in mock surprise. "Don't tell me you've been listening the whole time."

"I was asleep," Ash replied, straightening himself up to a sitting position; Pikachu, still asleep, lay on his lap, and the towel Ash used earlier now a blanket for him. "You said it yourself, that it was covered on all the news stories, tabloids, everywhere. You think I didn't pick one up to read at all?"

"I didn't know you could even read," May countered.

That crack, as well as the look on Ash's face, actually made Roark double over in laughter. "Stop, stop! This is getting out of hand," he was saying when he collected himself. "Get a room, you two; think of the innocent Pokémon that might be listening." Rampardos, who was getting ready to smash a boulder with a Headbutt, screeched to a halt when it heard its trainer's comment. One roar from the Pokémon alerted Roark of his mistake.

While Roark was preoccupied with pacifying his Pokémon, Ash and May were temporarily left to themselves. "What did happen to those two bouquets that Drew gave you?" Ash asked.

"So you really were listening," May said, looking offended.

"But I never denied it, did I?"

"Point taken," May grudgingly admitted with a small shrug, "but this doesn't mean that you're off the hook. Anyway, as for the roses, I gave them to Brianna. She is a big fan of his anyway, I know she'll better appreciate them."

The name didn't seem to register with Ash. Apparently, the name didn't ring a bell to him. 'Well," May thought, 'it's not like he knew her on a personal basis...'

All talk was interrupted by the loud clanging of metal on the pavement just outside the gym's doors. "I'M BACK!" can be heard next, followed by a loud and boisterous laugh.

"What was that?" May asked, startled.

"That...would be my father, Byron, the gym leader of this place," Roark told May, shaking his head. "He's not known to be a _quiet_ individual."

The door swung wide open with another booming voice from Byron. "Roark, my boy! Are there new challengers here to face me? It is late, but I'll gladly oblige. I can't deny the passion of aspiring Pokémon champions!"

A panicked expression crossed into the faces of both males. "Um, sorry to be rude," Roark whispered to the pair, "but I think it's time for you to leave. You know my father, Ash, when he gets into the mood, right? And I don't think he'll even recognize you, either."

"Ri-Right," Ash agreed. He grabbed May's wrist with one hand, and swept a still-sleeping Pikachu with the other. "We'll just take a back door, if there is any."

* * *

"Right now, he's one guy I wouldn't want to cross paths with for a second time," Ash explained, once they were "safely" out of the gym (quite coincidentally, because it was so late at night already, the streets are deserted so it's safe for May as well). "He can get really spirited on a few things. You heard him say 'spirited', right?"

"I think I can just imagine what you're talking about," May muttered, a little amused.

"By the way, you said that you gave the roses to this Brianna, right?"

May looked confused that he brought it up. "Yes, so?"

"So," Ash could barely string out the words he wanted to say (since he was almost in hysterics), "did the reporters ever make any assumptions like that? I mean, it should be a 'juicier' story than when Drew gave you those roses."

"Assumptions about-" By the time May could figure out what Ash was trying to say, he already had a running start, ten feet away from her. "HEY! I thought you were supposed to be dense? What made you think that of all things?" She took off after him, smoke piping out of her ears.

Leaning on the doorframe, Roark was watching the pair go. "Who am I to ask her about her troubles? Isn't it a very personal matter?" he told himself in a scolding manner. "May has a right to her secrets. Although, I think I figured out why she hates the article." Ash, still being the artful dodger as he evades May's "claws", doesn't seem aware that he was being surveyed closely by Roark, continuing to blabber on as he and May turned a corner. "And, if my guess is correct, I'm looking at the very reason why."

* * *

"It's late, and I need some shut-eye," Ash was saying with a huge yawn. "Luckily for us, your 'fans' seem to have given up for the night."

"Luck probably has nothing to do with it," May replied. "I mean, who would be out at this late hour? Besides us, that is."

After crossing the familiar wooden bridge, the welcome sight of the Center came into their view. Before heading inside, Ash noted that the lights in the building are still on, in contrast to its neighbors. He wondered out loud, "Does Nurse Joy ever work in a graveyard shift? I never bothered thinking about it until now."

"She does," May replied, "I should know, this place is practically my second home. By the way, this is applicable to all Nurse Joys, if you haven't figured it out already. They are nurses, mind you."

On cue, the nurse got out of the Center, and opened the door for them. "About time you two got back." To May she added, "I would've had second thoughts about calling Officer Jenny when I saw you be taken by him into that alley, until I recognized him.

"I usually don't remember the faces of trainers that come into my Center when they only appear once, but you...are different. I recognize you from the Sinnoh League too."

Ash looked embarrassed. "Shucks. I never thought I would actually get recognized myself."

"Never mind that," Joy continued. "Anyway, follow me. I think there's something out back that belongs to you." She led them to the dining area, where an amusing sight was awaiting them.

Lying on his back, his belly larger than usual, slept a Charizard; several plates and canisters lay strewn on the floor surrounding him. Nurse Joy didn't have to say anything, May recognized him immediately as the one belonging to Ash. "Your Charizard polished off a week's worth of rations," Joy told Ash. "Don't you ever feed that thing?"

"Charizard has quite the appetite, alright," Ash muttered, shaking his head, "but then again, we did have a long-distance trip from Pallet Town. He'd certainly have an empty stomach then."

"Pallet Town? As in Pallet Town, back in Kanto?" Both girls were stunned. "You flew all the way from there?" Joy asked. "Are you crazy? That's like a hundred or so miles!"

"Hey, it was an emergency, okay?" was Ash's excuse, gesturing in May's direction.

May shook her head in disapproval. "Oh, of course, you're sometimes prone to doing reckless stuff," she muttered, walking forward to pat Charizard on the head. "But to think you'd rope poor Charizard into your scheme..."

On cue, Charizard put on a pouting face, like he was trying to make himself look sorry, just to the annoyance of his trainer. Before Ash could object, Nurse Joy spoke up. "Well, if it weren't for you trying to help our common friend, I would have charged you for the whole lot, but you're lucky I'm in a forgiving mood for tonight."

"Thanks, Nurse Joy," Ash said putting his hands together making him look like he's in prayer. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom."

Once Ash is gone, and Charizard, exhausted and having had his fill, fell asleep, Nurse Joy turned her attention to May. "We need to talk. About that friend of yours."

"I'm really sorry, Nurse Joy, but Ash can be really reckless sometimes, and-"

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about how your friend has become a target for the media himself because he helped you."

**CONTINUED**


	4. Chapter 4

**Screen Couple, Part IV**

_"This young man, who is reputed to have competed in various League tournaments, but never seems to be bringing home the gold each and every time. Seems to me, Ramon, that he's hanging out with our rising star so that some of her luck would rub off on him."_

_"According to some sources," _fellow news anchor Ramon was saying, _"he isn't the sharpest tool in the drawer, so, who knows? Maybe your guess about him is 100% correct, Leland!"_

The two anchors of celebrity "dirt" network BFC laughed hysterically over that one (regardless if the joke was actually funny or not) before continuing with their newscast._ "And just what does this development bode for our favorite screen couple? A poll has been conducted, and 93% of our viewers seem to see him as a menace. I mean, who would want to get in the way of their favorite couple, am I right?"_

_"Right you are, Leland," _Ramon replied. _"This kid should stick to what he thinks he knows best, and not interfere. He and hi-"_

Having had enough (and seeing that May is just getting to the boiling point already) Nurse Joy shut off the TV. "Those news pundits are taking slander to a whole new level," May muttered, seething. "None of it is even true!" What follows is a scream that shook the entire Pokémon Center at the foundations (somehow it doesn't wake up anyone sleeping inside, though). "I really should start suing them for this! Now we'll see who has the last laugh!

"And the worst part of it is," May added, "the worst part is-"

This piqued Nurse Joy's interest. "There's an even worse angle to this for you?" she asked.

But May never got to answer that question, for the sound of footsteps alerted them of Ash's return. "Wow, I kinda filled the clogs back there," he muttered, while wiping his hands with a towel. "I'd recommend that the bathroom be quarantined for, oh, 20 hours."

"Is that supposed to be a joke?" Nurse Joy asked, not amused. "Because if it is, you're making a lame attempt to be a jokester. Try something e3lse instead."

Ash looked genuinely disappointed. "Really? Oh, shucks." He put his hands in his pockets, and low-kicked the air; classic disappointment tic. He then lightened up, and asked, "Care to make a suggestion?"

"Stick with training Pokémon," was the answer. And then, a quick glance at the TV reminded Nurse Joy of something. "Oh, and by the way," she was starting to add, "did you catch it on TV in another room? They were talking about-"

May yawned out loud, interrupting Nurse Joy. "It's getting really late, and I'm getting really tired," she said. She linked arms with Ash, and then started dragging him away in that manner. "Come on, you must be exhausted too. Good night, Nurse Joy."

It took all of eight seconds (the time it took for Ash and May to leave the room) for Joy to realize that, "Is May trying to keep Ash in the dark about what the media's currently been treating him?"

* * *

Ash was such a late arrival that Nurse Joy wasn't able to book a room in the Pokémon Center for him. So do the math: he and May had to share her room. But wait, don't make any dirty thoughts just yet. May knows better than to "not trust" someone like Ash, but, just to be sure, she had to make him sleep on the floor. She was ashamed of the decision, though. And apparently, Ash saw it coming; why else would he bring his sleeping bag, right?

"You sure you're alright down there?" she asked, peeking out from under her blanket, to lookl at Ash, who was looking comfortable lying on the floor.

Hands cupped behind his head, Ash just stared at the ceiling, not even looking at her. "Are you kidding, May? Hello? How many times have we camped together with Max and Brock by now? This carpeted floor is a feather cushion compared to all the forest floors we slept on."

"Touché," May replied, sounding relieved. She then rolled to lie straight, to also look at the ceiling. "Did Max and/or Brock, and...actually, did everyone of our friends, y'know, express rage at the media like you did? Are they worried about me, that is?"

"What kind of question was that? Of course they did, May. I'd have brought them along, but Charizard already complained of my weight alone. Imagine if he thought of bringing the entire gang on his back." When he didn't get any new replies from his roommate, Ash thought she had gone to sleep, so he decided to call it a day. "G'night, May." He fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes.

It's not that May did fall asleep before him; it's not even that she wanted to dodge his question. She was just absorbed in her own thoughts that Ash's comments flew over her head. 'Ash was right,' she thought, 'why would I think that our friends wouldn't want to come to my aid like he did? What came over me? Was it because I thought Ash doing all this was he thinks differently from everyone else? Or-'' She shook her head rapidly, dismissing the second possibility. 'Like that would even be a part of Ash's character, anyway, right?'

Her mind drifted to something else instead, something more pressing. 'The nerve of those live action tabloids,' she thought angrily. 'It's bad enough that they continued to misinterpret everything between Drew and me, now they had to pull Ash in as well, bashing him for "getting in the way". He only got roped into this whole mess because he was helping me!'

Sitting back up, May once again looked over at the spot on the floor where Ash was sleeping. "I'm so sorry, Ash," she said under her breath. "I'm not sure how, but I promise to make it up to you in some way."

* * *

One glance at the clock made her realize that it's still early morning; she slept for only two hours. She groaned, lamenting the lack of sleep. She got back up, and stole a quick glance at the floor, where Ash was sleeping...the sleeping bag was there, but he was gone. 'Where did he go?' she wondered.

Getting out of bed, May strolled outside, only to run into Ash just outside. "A bit of an early bird, aren't you?" he asked.

"I was going to say the same thing about you," May shot back.

Ash just shrugged. "Eh. I just couldn't sleep. Probably just had ten of those forty winks." Shaking her head, May tried proceeding downstairs, but Ash stopped her, grabbing her hand. "I wouldn't go downstairs right now if I were you."

Looking at him, May need not be told why. "They found out where I was staying, huh?" she asked, sounding a little bitter.

"It took them longer than expected," Ash replied. "How long have you been staying here again? That would discredit their investigative instincts, is that whatchamacallit."

* * *

"May really is staying here, isn't she? How close are you two? And what are your thoughts on the possible love triangle between May, Drew and this newcomer Ash?"

"This Ash, is he staying here, too? Is he trying to make his moves on here while Drew isn't around?"

Hidden behind thick curtains from an upstairs window, May took in the sights safely. She thought out loud, "Why do you think they're not entering? Not that I'm complaining; I'm glad that they're staying right there and not storming inside. But it kind of makes me wonder."

"No mysteries there, I just called in another old friend of mine. His species is well-known for being the perfect roadblocks, after all."

Upon hearing Ash say that, May could hear the unmistakable sound amidst the reporters' shouts. It was a snoring sound, one which she recognized instantly. "You summoned _Snorlax _to barricade the Center's doors?" she asked, trying to hide the amused look on her own face.

"Oh, yes he did," Nurse Joy answered for Ash, walking to them from behind. And she's seething. "You're really starting to overstay your welcome here, young man. You're lucky that no trainers would bother going into the Center at this time of the day, or else I'll make sure you'll regret the day you stepped into my facility."

Ash ignored her, and turned back to May. "May, pack your things. I think it's about time you go home. Even if these newshounds would follow you there, at least your family would be standing by your side. And if I remember correctly, Norman has a commanding influence in the city. They're certain to leave you alone."

"And how do you propose I get out of here without anyone seeing me?" May asked skeptically.

"How else? Charizard's going to fly you." Without another word, Ash sped downstairs, to the cafeteria, where Charizard is still in presumably.

"There are a few holes I can think of in his plan," Nurse Joy muttered, "but I think he has the right idea."

"You're right," May agreed. "I'd better start getting my belongings."

* * *

It took record time for May to get ready. She met up with Ash and Nurse Joy in the cafeteria once she's done. Even though she took only ten minutes, she found that Ash was only finishing waking up Charizard when she arrived. A groggy Flamethrower at his trainer's face was apparently a wake-up exercise for Charizard.

"He's ready," Ash announced while coughing out smoke. "Are you ready to go, May?"

"Yes. My Pokémon and my belongings are with me." May turned to Nurse Joy. "Thank you for all the help you gave me these past few days."

The two females embraced warmly. "You take care of yourself. We'll be sure to meet again," Joy said as she pulled away, wiping her tears. "Now go, I'll think of some way to distract that mob while you leave. Take the back exit like always."

Ash, May, Charizard and Pikachu exited the Pokémon Center from the back entrance. There Ash gave May a boost to get on Charizard, then placed Pikachu on the top of the head of the larger Pokémon. "Pikachu, I'm counting on you; Charizard has never been to Hoenn before so you'll have to navigate his flight."

"Wait, you're not going with us?" May exclaimed, startled. The looks on her Pokémon companions' faces told her they were surprised by the revelation as well.

"Hey now, I just can't leave Snorlax alone with that mob; what kind of trainer would that make me? I'll just help Nurse Joy with the distraction. Go on, I'll catch up with you guys soon." Ash went back inside, closing the door behind him.

May's thoughts flashed back to the telecast she watched a couple of hours ago. "I don't think Ash knows what the news thinks of him. Those news hounds are going to tear Ash apart, bashing him needlessly," she said. "He's going to humiliate himself, and possibly on live TV, too, all for my sake!

"I have to help him!" May clenched her fists. Suddenly, her face lit up, an idea forming in her head. "Charizard, Pikachu, I'm not planning on leaving him behind, and I can tell that you don't want to either. I have a plan, but you'll have to follow my instructions. He's been helping me out since he's arrived here, and now I want to return the favor."

**CONTINUED**


End file.
